Try to look beyond the stats Topper, err CFP. Is that too much to ask? Try to look at his ceiling. It's kind of hilarious to see you all complain about 4.5 million yet y'all don't mind paying Booth that.... trust me. O'Reilly is a better hockey player by a country mile and I don't doubt that he will be as good as and most likely better than Burrows one day. Burrows has had the luxury of riding shot gun with the Sedins. It isn't a long shot to say that in a couple years O'Reilly could be one of the leagues best two way players in the game, he is only 22.

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

RoyalDude wrote:I'd have no problem giving O'Reilly a contract similar to Burrows, but definitely nothing more than that. However, I do believe that O'Reilly will eventually be a better player than Burrows.

Wait that makes no sense. You're okay with him holding out because you figure he's gonna be another HOFer like Trottier or Francis one day. But you would only be willing to give him a home town discount contract like the one Burrows took flack from the union for signing? never mind the unlikely fact that since the kids dad has turned down 3.5 million already he'll never agree to such a deal here?

LOL...step aside everybody, uk has had a genius moment.

Let me bring you up to speed uk...Burrows just signed a contract that kicks in for the 2013/14 season that will pay him $4.5 million per year for 4 years for a grand totals of $18 million over the life time of the contract. Is that type of contract too much for O'Reilly??? INMYPERSONALOPINION - No. But don't sweat it, uk...it's just an opinion of a hockey fan, nothing more.

Silly me I thought you were saying you'ld give R O'R Burrows money at the same point in his career. You know coming off his ELC which is a great idea considering the projection in points is arguably about the same. Actually, I think that's a bit on the light side considering that Burrows "worked" his way to the bigs and R O'R is a highly regarded draft pick...Still, I think if I'm cutting the cheques I'd like to see just a little humility...I mean what will the guy want if he a actually scores thirty goals in one season cough-Crosby.

Try to look beyond the stats Topper, err CFP. Is that too much to ask? Try to look at his ceiling. It's kind of hilarious to see you all complain about 4.5 million yet y'all don't mind paying Booth that.... trust me. O'Reilly is a better hockey player by a country mile and I don't doubt that he will be as good as and most likely better than Burrows one day. Burrows has had the luxury of riding shot gun with the Sedins. It isn't a long shot to say that in a couple years O'Reilly could be one of the leagues best two way players in the game, he is only 22.

He hasn't proven he is worth the money you're or his dad is suggesting. As for Booth, we inherited him with his contract under the old CBA, playing for a team trying to reach the cap floor. Under the new CBA maybe the "current" Booth isn't worth his salary however; he was paid what that type of player was worth under the previous CBA.

ukcanuck wrote:Actually, I think that's a bit on the light side considering that Burrows "worked" his way to the bigs and R O'R is a highly regarded draft pick...

Really? Highly regarded? I have done a quick scan of the 09 draft articles and he is not listed as a highly regarded pick. Maybe I missed it, but most articles and scouting reports listed him as having a 3/4C top end.

ukcanuck wrote:Actually, I think that's a bit on the light side considering that Burrows "worked" his way to the bigs and R O'R is a highly regarded draft pick...

Really? Highly regarded? I have done a quick scan of the 09 draft articles and he is not listed as a highly regarded pick. Maybe I missed it, but most articles and scouting reports listed him as having a 3/4C top end.

He wasn't highly regarded at all. In fact it was a massive surprises when he came in and made the team at 18. A second rounder making the NHL right after their draft year almost never happens.

I have been expecting him to fall on his face for the past 3 years but he's been getting better not worse.

He still isn't a 5 million dollar player. He is basiacally a poor mans Kesler....not that that's a bad thing but he will top out as a good 2nd line centre. He also had the privelage of playing with a young stud in Landeskog last year which may have padded his stats. Good player..... but he and his pop are out to lunch or maybe he just wants out of Denver.

ukcanuck wrote:Actually, I think that's a bit on the light side considering that Burrows "worked" his way to the bigs and R O'R is a highly regarded draft pick...

Really? Highly regarded? I have done a quick scan of the 09 draft articles and he is not listed as a highly regarded pick. Maybe I missed it, but most articles and scouting reports listed him as having a 3/4C top end.

Jamie Benn, PK Subban, Brad Marchand, Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron, Marcus Foligno...all have something to say about not being drafted in the first round. Who cares, what does where you were drafted have to do with anything. Alexander Daigle was drafted 1st overall. Pavel Brendl, what happened to him? You should go back and read the pre-draft criticisms of Claude Giroux now considered one of the top 10 players in the league. It's what they do in the NHL...O'Reilly made it as an 18 year old and from then on has only gotten better with each year. I think we can all agree that he isn't worth what he, his Dad, his agent are asking for, ain't no disputing that. There isn't a GM in this league who would not love to have O'Reilly on their team, and I would bet that a lot of them would not have a problem paying in the range of 4 to 4.5 million what Burrows just signed his extension for. I see no problem paying him what Burrows just got. Burrows has had the luxury of playing with two of the best players in the game, the Sedins. So, BFD if O'Reilly played with Landeskog last season, ya ever think that hey maybe Landeskog benefited from playing with O'Reilly. Either way, O'Reilly proved himself long before Landeskog arrived. O'Reilly has a very high ceiling, I wouldn't be surprised if he is the best two way forward in the game 3 years from now but he definitely doesn't deserve more than 4.5 million in my books.

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

I am a mean sarcastic writer sometimes. Just the way I am, take it or leave it. But I pride myself in being fair.

So I was thinking today: I’ve been a little tough on the Avs in the Ryan O’Reilly situation. Ripping on them for take-it-or-leave it offers and essentially saying “How can you not sign this guy?” But I also think it’s fair to try and put forth a counterargument as to why the Avs may be in the right for taking a hard line in salary talks.

Let me, therefore, be fair and point out a few things about O’Reilly, maybe try to channel the Avs and their thinking a bit. I’m not saying this is what they are thinking. I’m saying I’m going to channel them as best I can.

Here goes:- O’Reilly wants to be paid like a 30-goal scorer in this league. He scored 39 goals his first three years in the league. He’s never even scored 20. Guys who steal a few pucks and score 15-20 goals are great (his career high is 18, last year), but they aren’t $5 million a year players.

- O’Reilly is basing all his salary demands on one good year. He wants at least $5 million a year for one good year. But he’s played three. Sorry, kid, but you haven’t proven yourself enough yet to get that kind of money. Besides, if you’re as good as you say you are, then you’d have taken a one- or two-year deal, played your butt off and put up another big and maybe even better year and PROVEN you’re not just a one-year wonder. Then, you would have really had the Avs by the shorthairs at the bargaining table.

Then, you would have been eligible for arbitration and pretty much gotten any salary you’d want from the arbitrator. Or, you would have forced the Avs to cry uncle, admit you’re the real deal and then gotten that long-term deal for maybe even more money than you want now.

But you want to be guaranteed huge money for a long time without truly having proven yet that you can do it consistently.

- You had your best scoring year playing with the NHL rookie of the year. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

- Your camp may be ridiculing supposed friend and teammate Matt Duchene for taking a short-money contract and thereby setting a floor too low for your own self. Fine, but guess what? Matt Duchene worked his butt off this summer, got himself in incredible shape and has played great this season, and now he’s likely looking at a huge new contract before too long. Maybe the Avs even reward him already with a rich contract extension before too long, to not have to worry about keeping him down the road.

That could have been you.

Oh, and by the way: Duchene put up 132 points his first two years in the league. You put up 52 and were a combined minus-3. In fact, your career plus-minus is -4.

- Speaking of that great last season you had, can we talk about the last six games of the year? You know, the ones that were the crunch-time games, the ones that would determine if the Avs made the playoffs or not, the ones where the really great players are supposed to rise to the occasion?

Your stats for the final six games: Zero goals, one assist, -2.

Over the final 18 games, you scored two goals for us.

- How do you think you really come off to your teammates? As a team-first guy, or a me-first guy now? Think about that one hard.

OK, I’m back to my normal self again. Channel time over. I think now that I have accomplished my mission of being fair and presenting both sides.

Now, it’s up to the real parties involved to channel the rest of this story.

ukcanuck wrote:Actually, I think that's a bit on the light side considering that Burrows "worked" his way to the bigs and R O'R is a highly regarded draft pick...

Who cares, what does where you were drafted have to do with anything. Alexander Daigle was drafted 1st overall. Pavel Brendl, what happened to him? .

My point was that he was NOT a highly touted DP. I'm really not sure if you are a fish out of water or you just like to contradict yourself post after post.

Comparing Burrows to RoR is not the same. Either way, the draft status of RoR has been seen as very limited. Unless shown otherwise a signed(under $3.5) RoR is worth Schroeder/(Hodgson) + 1st + Sauve/Pinnizotto. Saw a post on the Sabres board....CoHo + Grigs for RoR....lol